1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vinyl products, more specifically to vinyl products having embedded particles therein.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
Tufted pile carpet, when provided as tile normally has at least one layer of vinyl below the yarn pile. These layers are not visible from above since the yarn extends from a backing above the vinyl layer and obscures view to the vinyl layer(s) below. The vinyl layers improve the cushioning effect of the carpet as well as the durability of the carpet.
Some manufacturers imprint arrow signs on the reverse, or bottom side, of the vinyl layer to aid an installer during the installation of carpet tile. These imprints are not covered with additional layers of vinyl since they need to be visible during installation, if at all, depending upon the skill of the installer. Furthermore, the images are not visible once the tile is installed since the image is obscured by the vinyl layer(s), backing and pile.
Linoleum is typically manufactured by placing at least one pattern layer atop a backing and then covering with a clear wear layer. The pattern layers are believed to have the pattern preformed therein prior to the pattern layer being applied to the backing. While linoleum has been provided in tile and roll formats, a need exists for an alternative flooring product which has advantages including high durability and attractive aesthetic properties.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,941 shows a bath mat having a non-vinyl base layer with a design printed thereon and subsequently coated with a vinyl layer with polycarbonate particles sprayed onto the vinyl so that the polycarbonate particles are absorbed into the vinyl layer as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The polycarbonate particles do not extend to the upper surface of the vinyl layer as they are shown completely coated by the vinyl.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,344 shows a similar construction where sand particles are coated during the application process of the particles through spraying similar to U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,941. While these techniques described and shown in these patents may provide a non-slip surface, the textures left by this process are not believed to be desirable for some applications and do not fully exploit the design potential of embedded particles in vinyl.